Malaysia: Consultant charged with 11 counts of money laundering

A former independent consultant was charged at the Sessions Court today with 11 counts of money laundering involving more than RM3.5 million.

Sukor Razali, 44, was charged with:

* Transferring RM250,000 obtained from illegal activities from an account in Al-Rajhi Banking & Investment Corporation Bhd into an account in Maybank belonging to a legal firm, Zahir Razak & Co.;

* Transferring RM1.04 million from the bank into four accounts belonging to Inter Milenia Services Sdn Bhd at RHB Bank; and

* Transferring RM595,800 from the Al-Rajhi account into two accounts belonging to IMSSB Enterprise in RHB Bank Bhd.

Milenia Services is a construction supply company while IMSSB Enterprise is a subsidiary of Milenia.

Sukor also faced two charges of disposing RM85,000, one of using RM739,500 to buy a Cashier’s Order and one of having RM858,999.84 in his possession.

All this money was allegedly obtained from illegal gains. Apart from these 11 charges, Sukor was slapped with three other charges under the Penal Code.

He was charged with two counts of criminal breach of trust of RM3 million, in his capacity as an independent consultant where he was entrusted with nine cheques belonging to Oberthur Card Systems Sdn Bhd.

The third charge was using a false document - Board Resolution For Account of A Limited Company - to open a current account at a bank.

Sukor allegedly committed the 14 offences at the Corporation in Jalan Ampang here between Feb 26 and May 31 last year. Sukor pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali proposed RM500,000 bail with one surety for the first 11 charges and applied for his passport to be surrendered to court.

For the other three charges, deputy public prosecutor Nor Azilah Mat proposed RM300,000 bail with one surety.

Sukor’s counsel Jamal Abbas pleaded for the amount to be reduced and said that Sukor could only afford RM50,000.

“He is no longer working with the company and does a part time job with his friend,” said Jamal, adding that Sukor was also supporting his family in Kuching.

Sukor, who was given the opportunity to address the court by judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah, said he did not have any money to pay for the bail.

“There is no point in the lawyer asking for a reduced amount. I have no money to pay,” he said.

Komathy granted Sukor RM500,000 bail with one surety but ordered him to furnish a security in the sum of RM100,000.

She also ordered him to surrender his passport to the court and fixed June 16 for mention.

Source: New Straits Times